'Listening is act of love,' says papal message to European youths

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Christian community and society need young people to live out their dreams of a world where people listen to one another, accept each other and build bridges with members of different cultures and religions, Pope Francis told young Europeans meeting to "pray in" the new year.

"Make your dreams of love, justice and peace a concrete reality, starting with yourselves," said the papal message sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to the thousands of young people meeting and praying with the Taize community in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dec. 28-Jan. 1.

"Dear friends, we live in a world full of noise, where the values of silence and listening are stifled," the message said. "In this context, I invite you to rediscover the profound dimension of listening. Listening is an act of love. It lies at the heart of trust. Without listening, little can grow or develop. Listening gives the other person the space to exist."

One of the reasons for the growing level of violence and the continuing wars around the world is "because nobody listens anymore," the message said.

Therefore, the pope urged young people "to build a different world, a world of listening, dialogue and openness."

Making that difference can only be done by journeying together and working with each other, the message said. "Walking together means blocking the road to marginalization, closure, exclusion and the rejection of one category of people."

"We must commit ourselves to living like our Master and Lord Jesus, who excluded no one from his path," it continued. "Rooted in communion with God, Christ shared his life with those who came to him. He recognized God's presence in those on the margins of society, even those who did not belong to his people."